Palatine, Belvidere men arrested with $250K worth of cocaine

July 22, 2010

Two men were charged with drug trafficking after investigators went undercover and recovered 834 grams of cocaine with a street value of $250,000 in Boone County, officials said today.

Jose Lugo, 31, of the 1700 block of North Rose Street in Palatine and Luis Mendoza, 33, of the 2200 block of Oakwood Drive in Belvidere, Boone County, were both charged with delivery of a controlled substance, cocaine, according to a press release issued by the Cook County sheriff's office.

Officials said the investigation began in May when members of the sheriff's north narcotics team discovered that a Palatine individual was trafficking cocaine. During the course of several months undercover investigators set up several meetings with Lugo and made undercover buys of cocaine, according to the release.

Investigators discovered that Lugo's supply of cocaine was coming from another man. Officials said the supplier was not willing to 'front' large quantities of the drugs to Lugo, officials said.

Officials said that the undercover officers eventually gained Lugo's trust and negotiated the purchase of 18 oz. of cocaine for $17,000.

After having arranged a meeting on July 14 in a shopping center parking lot in Belvidere, Lugo arrived with Mendoza who walked into a store while Lugo went into a vehicle where the undercover officers were waiting for the drug transaction, according to the release.

After the transaction was made, investigators arrested Lugo and a short time later Mendoza was arrested as he walked out of the store.

After the arrests, police searched Mendoza's home where they found 834.5 grams of cocaine worth $250,000.

Bond for both men was set at $2,500 bond in Boone County as officials pursue indictments against both men.

Assisting the sheriff's police was the Belvidere police department, Palatine police and Boone County sheriff's police.